Showing posts with label ocso-mgm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ocso-mgm. Show all posts

Sunday 18 September 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi Sept 18 "spectacular procession, Basilica"







O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011
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On Saturday nights in Assisi there is a huge gathering in the Basilica for praying of the Rosary – with spectacular procession over the piazza in front of the Church. And there is even a lift in the joy that carries the MGM and the relationships in our big family.

Saturday 17 September 2011

“we come to discuss the salvation of our souls”. O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi Sept 16


Souls at rest, Nunraw

The high light of the General Chapter, MGM, must be the conference by the Abbot General on “Ongoing Formation of the Superior”.
It is a subject of prime pastoral interest.
It proved to be an essential Saint Benedict theme of spirituality.
At the heart of the conference is, “we come to discuss the salvation of our souls”, (Dom. Eamon).  
 See pin-pointed the word “SOUL”, as indicated next;

1.      Given the assembly that we are, composed mainly of superiors of the Order come together to discuss the salvation of their own souls and of those committed to them (C. 77.1)

2.    Putting the welfare of souls before material considerations 

3.    Remembering that he is called to care for sick souls not just healthy ones To work with the people he has rather than ones he would like to have is a challenge not only for abbots.   

Atlas Monks Memorial

4.      And so Benedict talks about the need to watch over one’s own soul and the Constitutions (33.3) talk about renewing oneself with the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers.  The abbot’s service: some helps

5.      For us today it is much less evident that all we require in the way of aids to our transformation in Christ is available within the enclosure of the monastery, whether on the material level or on the spiritual. I want to return here to the question of the need for the abbot to watch over his own soul, to be conscious of his own wounds and to know how to heal them.

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Dom Eamon, Abbot General

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Ongoing Formation of the Superior

Given the assembly that we are, composed mainly of superiors of the Order come together to discuss the salvation of their own souls and of those committed to them (C. 77.1) I thought it might be helpful to share some thoughts on the ongoing formation of the superior. 

The monastic way of monk and abbot
The abbot is a monk and does not cease to be such when he takes on the ministry of abbot.  He walks the same path - that of being transformed through the monastic life so that the grace of baptism comes to fruition in him as a child of God, one who is truly like Christ.  It is the journey from fear of God to love of God without fear which is marked out in Chapter 7 of the Rule.  It is to become a truly loving person whose characteristics are described in Chapter 72 of the Rule.  The abbot like the monks is to strive to reach the kingdom of God through faith, perseverance in good works and under the guidance of the Gospel.  The abbot is to fear God and keep the Rule (RB 3).   

This fear of God is a fundamental disposition in the Rule that St. Benedict requires of all the monks but it should be particularly evident in those who hold a responsible position in the community (abbot, cellarer, infirmarian, porter).  It is a sense of God, a reverence for God and an acknowledgment of his existence. It is the rock on which virtue is based in the Rule.  It is the motivating force in how we respond to other people and to tasks we have to do.  It is faith in the reality of God, his existence, his concern for us and the fact that we are answerable to him.  This applies in particular to the abbot.  God is over all, sees all and is the one to whom we are answerable.  We are creatures and he is our Creator.   He is the one who sent his Son into the world to redeem it and we are called to imitate the Son in living in the accord with the will of the Father and in this way to become truly his children, not slaves but sons and daughters.  It is towards his Kingdom that we travel in this life and the journey does not make any sense if we forget that.  It is this disposition in faith that determines our relationships with others and with things.  It is an attitude of reverence for God, of honouring others, and a respect for all that he has made.  This is then the ground for ongoing formation for the abbot as for the monk.

Formation to what?  Some models
The monk is on the way and so is the abbot; the formation is ongoing but at the same time Benedict does give us some examples of the kind of person he would consider holy and a good model.   When he talks about the cellarer he looks for someone with the following qualities: good judgment, mature of character, sober, not self-important, not turbulent, someone who is a father to all, compassionate who has respect for people and for things, who does not sadden others but is humble,  gentle, and kind in speech.  The qualities of the abbot run in a similar vein. I mention some: he should be of profit to the brothers rather than just preside over them; needs to know the divine law be chaste, temperate and merciful; shows forethought and consideration, is discerning and moderate.  These lists are rather impressive in the human qualities they mention and the level of maturity they witness to.  Such persons would rate rather highly on most contemporary personality assessments.  This should not come as a surprise because they rest on living out the imitation of Christ as described in the degrees of humility.  The qualities are the fruit of lives lived in an evangelical spirit of imitation of Jesus in putting the Father’s will first in his life and the giving of himself in the service of others.  It is a life modelled on the one who was truly human and truly divine.  Appreciation of this mystery of the kenosis of Christ which gives us life is the energy that makes possible the life that Benedict proposes to his monks in the Rule.  It is a life that is founded on a relationship (“Christ loved me and gave himself for me”) and that is lived in the knowledge that one is loved.  The abbot lives out this life as the other monks do by following the Rule, the pattern of prayer and reading, of meals and rest, and of work. And it is his work (his ministry) that distinguishes him from the other monks, his work being his particular service to the community which Benedict recognises as a difficult task.  The abbot’s service of the life of the community is described in  the following images: father, teacher, shepherd, doctor and steward.  He exercises a ministry of care to the community, a care that nourishes the life of the community, so that they can become people shaped and guided by the Spirit and live a life of love that leads to eternal life.  The conclusion I draw from the above is that, for the abbot as for the monk, ongoing formation takes place through the living of the life of the community with all that this involves and the important difference in the case of the abbot is the ministry he has in the community and to the community. 

The abbot’s service: challenges
The abbot’s service is one that has its own stresses and strains as Benedict readily admits and also its own hazards some of which he mentions.  Particular challenges are mentioned as follows:
·                     Avoiding personal preferences for any reason (except virtue) in his way of relating to the brothers because all are one in Christ.  In an age of dialogue and community votes the danger might be to cultivate like-minded people and those who side with one’s point of view. 
·                     Adapting to the temperament and character of others rather than expecting them to adapt to him.  This can prove quite a challenge. 
·                     Putting the welfare of souls before material considerations In a time such as ours, with the economic crisis, when there is much adaptation of buildings, remodelling and such activities going on in monasteries it is very easy for an abbot to get taken up with such projects with the best will in the world and for the good of the community.  But this can lead to other tensions and make life difficult for brothers.  It tends to be felt more in monasteries of nuns than of monks from what I have seen, perhaps because nuns are more used to contact with the abbess than are monks with the abbot?
·                     Remembering that he is called to care for sick souls not just healthy ones To work with the people he has rather than ones he would like to have is a challenge not only for abbots.   The danger of avoidance here is real – avoiding those who are more tiresome and trying and staying with the stimulating and supportive. 
·                     Realising that he is not always the best person in every situation to help someone and being free enough and trusting enough to use others as the need arises.  He needs to recognise his limitations.
·                     Knowing how to heal his own wounds he can heal those of others How does one go about healing one’s own wounds?  Will come back to that. 
·                     Being of profit to the brothers and not just presiding over them.  The danger of liking the glory rather than the work.  We can get caught up with our status and begin to see ourselves as important – become image conscious.  A good deal of this can depend on the particular place the monastery has in a given society and desire to fulfil people’s expectations. 
·                     Obviously too pride is a more serious hazard which can easily slip into one’s style, either initially, when in our innocence we are sure we know what the community needs, or later, when we get some experience and because of that feel we have all the answers. 
·                     Benedict specifically warns against jealousy (in relation to the Prior) and being out of touch with one’s own weakness – seeing the faults of others and not seeing one’s own. 

And so Benedict talks about the need to watch over one’s own soul and the Constitutions (33.3) talk about renewing oneself with the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers.  So while Benedict sees the monastery and life lived within the monastery as able to provide a way that leads to growth in holiness and humanity and even talks of it as a straight path to the Creator, he also recognises that human frailty is very much in evidence and that there are many pitfalls along the way.  Michael Casey spoke somewhere of the monastic way as the art of wobbleology – rather than heading on the tracks straight to one’s goal it was a matter of going from side to side up the road that led to the kingdom. 

The abbot’s service: some helps
For us today it is much less evident that all we require in the way of aids to our transformation in Christ is available within the enclosure of the monastery, whether on the material level or on the spiritual. I want to return here to the question of the need for the abbot to watch over his own soul, to be conscious of his own wounds and to know how to heal them.
·                     Some of the most important influences on our lives are happenings over which we have no control: who our parents were; the choice of brothers and sisters if we had them; my social background and so on and the kind of person I am as a result.   These are given realities that we have to accept and live with as best we can for better and for worse – none of us came from perfect families.  And so we have basic stances to life and particular temperaments, gifts and limitations.  Out of these and out of other life experiences and choices we make over time we are who we are.   Coming to accept oneself and one’s own history is a big factor in human maturation and wisdom.  But for the Christian and the monk it is also an act of faith in God’s providence in one’s life.  We used to speak in the past of our predominant fault (long ago!). Today we might talk about personality styles and defects that we never seem to be able to get rid of.  Paul spoke of a thorn in the flesh.  Some wounds we have can be healed, thankfully through grace and with the help of others; others we have not only to live with but according to St. Paul rejoice in.  Such a disposition is the work of God in us.  It is important then for one who exercises the ministry of abbot to be aware of his own weakness, so that it does not get in the way of his service of others. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, spiritual guidance and prayer are ways that can lead to healing or living more peacefully with who we are.  The important thing is that we are able to be truthful with ourselves before God.  Being truthful with another can be a great help in doing this. 
·                     Just as there are no perfect families so there are no perfect monasteries or a perfect monastic formation though clearly enough some monasteries are much richer in human and material resources than others.  So at times it may be difficult for an abbot to find someone who can help him at this level within the monastery.  This can mean seeking help from someone outside at the professional or the spiritual level.  This can be something that is necessary at a particular time or it may be something regular on a long-term basis.  It may be a course that one does at a particular time, or a sabbatical or it may be a pastoral meeting of superiors.  Some may find their way by having hermit days or the like.  The important thing is that whatever we use is not just an escape but actually helps us to be freer in our service of God and of the brethren and more profitable to them and that it enables us to live our monastic ascesis with renewed zeal.
·                     Abbots because of their ministry have much more exposure to people - the brethren as well as outside contacts – than most others in community and this can be both a service to others and a real school of ongoing formation for oneself.  The document from the Holy See on the service of authority and obedience of some years ago remarks: “It will be the responsibility of persons in authority to keep a high level of openness to being formed as well as the ability to learn from life. In particular, this is important to do regarding the freedom of letting oneself be formed by others and for each one to feel a responsibility for the growth of others.”  We learn about ourselves in our relationships with other people and sometimes that learning can mean making mistakes, saying we are sorry, being humiliated as well as experiencing real fraternity or friendship.  This is where the much used phrase “affective maturity” becomes evident. We can learn much from the way others relate to us and treat us as well as from the manner in which we respond or react as the case may be.  Keeping a high level of openness is not easy but it is a path of humility and of life. 
·                     This might be the moment to say something about a particular challenge for many today.  And here a quotation from the document I mentioned above says it well: “Persons in authority can also become discouraged and disillusioned.  In the face of the resistance of some members of the community and of certain questions that seem insoluble, he or she can be tempted to cave in and to consider every effort for improving the situation useless.  What we see here is the danger of becoming managers of the routine, resigned to mediocrity, restrained from intervening, no longer having the courage to point out the purposes of authentic consecrated life and running the risk of losing the love of one’s first fervour and the desire to witness to it.” The way to deal with this, the document continues, is by recalling that the service of authority is an act of love of the Lord Jesus, and so the need of being patient in suffering and persevering in prayer and to continue to contribute. 

Some desiderata for the ongoing formation/conversion of the abbot:
·                     Believing in one’s calling and responding to God’s call by freely and willingly using the means that our life provides – leading the life of the community - liturgy, lectio, work, fraternal life.
·                     Openness of heart with oneself and before God – being transparent with another about all that is going on in oneself.
·                     Serving others as abbot as best one can, and knowing that one’s service as abbot will end some day!
·                     Knowing that we won’t get our ongoing formation all right but accepting in faith and trust that there is a Providence who has it all in hand and whose paths and purposes will be realised despite us, to our delight and for his glory!


f. Eamon
Assisi, September, 2011.



Wednesday 14 September 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi Sept 14. Today we had the joy of having Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, the Prefect of the Congregation of Religious life, as our main celebrant and guest of the MGM. The Cardinal is Brazilian and well known by some of our Latin American superiors.



O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi

 


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Mass in the basilica



We started the second week of the Mixed General Chapters celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross with a mid morning Mass in the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built over the Proziuncula, the tiny, beautiful chapel of the time of St. Francis. This Feast was the opening day of the General Chapter in Cîteaux for centuries, and thus has a special significance for our Order. Today we had the joy of having Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, the Prefect of the Congregation of Religious life, as our main celebrant and guest of the MGM. The Cardinal is Brazilian and well known by some of our Latin American superiors.

For our daily morning Mass we use a large hall in Domus Pacis, and it was a special joy to have the mass in the basilica, where the beauty of the Gregorian chant was enlarged under the high vaults. A large part of the abbots and priests at the MGM concelebrated, and it gives an extra experience of the universal Church when you see so many priests from different parts of the world walking up the isles. At this MGM we have our two former Abbot Generals present, Dom Ambrose Southey, former abbot  of Mt. St. Bernard, and Dom Bernardo Olivera, present abbot of Azul, who were at the main altar together with the Cardinal and the abbot general, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald.
Cardinal Braz de Aviz gave his homily in Italian, and there was no translation given. But if you know a little bit of Latin, a little bit of French and a little bit of Spanish, and you know the gospel of the day, you can guess some of his points with a certain surety. As far as I could understand, he spoke about how we transmit our faith, not through proselytism, but passing on the interior experience. Christ is looking at us from the cross, seeing our lives from this perspective. Our society rejects suffering and limitations, but there is no other way to God than through the cross. By contemplating the mystery of the cross, the contradictions it presents us with, we can give this serene witness of our faith. It is the Lord of Heaven and Earth who is crucified, showing us that God has a human heart, yet so much greater. Through being crucified, Jesus showed that nobody can deny that he or she is loved by God. The graces the Church gives us enable us to live this love of God. He encouraged us to follow the way our founders pointed out, living according to the Rule of St. Benedict.

The Mass can be seen on the web site http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17261759

About saints and miracles
Wednesday was also used for the work in the mixed commissions on the House Reports. But we did take time to listen to a few reports in a short plenary session. One was about the Central Secretary of formation, who has to be elected after sr. Katharina of Nazareth resigned in April this year due to too work commitments in her community.
The other report was about the work of the postulator, Sr. Augusta of Vitorchiano:
The canonization of our Brother Rafael of San Isidro in Spain took a lot of work, but now this young Cistercian oblate is well known. He was chosen as one of the patrons of the World Youth Day in Madrid in August, and there has been catechesis and presentations about him in Spain.

The sanctity of the young Sardinian sister Gabriella of Vitorchiano is well known all over the world, because of the interest for ecumenism. (She gave her life for the unity of the Church.)

This is also the case of our brothers of Tibhirine. The cause for their beatification continues: The historical commission will probably finish their work by the end of this year, the theological censors theirs at the beginning of next year. Perhaps the diocesan process can be closed in the coming year, and then the Roman phase will start: Count on that taking ten years at least,says sr. Augusta in her report.

In this period of time other things may come up entering the cause, documents from outside the regular processes, eventual developments and findings of the juridical inquiry, and anything that could be useful for arriving at a calm and truthful verdict about their sanctity. The cause of our brothers of Tibhirine was not introduced by our Order, but by the diocese of Argel, but the Order is involved in cases that deals with its members.

The postulator has refused to present the request of La Oliva for the introduction of the cause of brother Zacarias because the documentation is meager and the fame of his holiness is not widely spread. She has also declined the request of lay people for the introduction of the cause of father Filiberto Guala of Frattocchie.

The work of the postulator includes much correspondence, sending of materials, information and publications, translations, and examining of reports of graces received. – Sometimes these are important, but no real miracles, she says in her report: - Any case not accompanied by serious documentation is immediately discarded. If the documentation is good I give it to sisters who are medical doctors or other specialists to examine. In 99 % of the cases there are natural explanations. So I have disregarded the presumed miracle of Michael Tansi and another attributed to Fr. Romano Bottegal.
So, no big news, says sr. Augusta.
Miracles or not, documentations or not, the call to sanctity remains!

Sr. Hanne-Maria of Tautra

Tuesday 13 September 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi On the feast of the Exhaltation of the Cross (14/9)

TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi

 

On the feast of the Exhaltation of the Cross (14/9), Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Liffe and Societies of Apostolic Life will preside at the Eucharist in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels at 11.00 local time. 

The celebration will be streamed online, please CLICK HERE to watch.

Grapes and cotoneaster

All day Tuesday the work of the Mixed General Chapters was on the House Reports in the mixed commissions, the reports written by the members of each individual monastery. It is a thorough listening not only to what the written report says, but also to the superior  of the community. The father immediate is consulted and brought into the commission when needed.

As all that is happening in the commissions is confidential, I decided there wouldn’t be much to write about today, and went for a walk during the break after lunch. It was a beautiful experience of  the modern town of Assisi in daylight. The other days I have walked from the house Gesu Bambino, where some of us live, in the morning before daybreak, when the moon is still golden and Orion and Sirius can be seen above the dome of the basilica, and have returned in the dark at night.

Now it was a warm, warm but not too hot day – a warmth that is never felt on the Norwegian island of Tautra where my monastery is. I had time to take a closer look at the many unknown trees and bushes that make up the beautiful parks around the houses where our MGM is held. Oleander with pink flowers, cotoneaster with orange berries, and lots of hanging vines with ripe grapes. In the shadow of the tall trees there was a gentle, welcome breeze, inviting to a longer break than I had. But we got some good news this morning – we will have a day’s break in the work next Wednesday. Until then we can go on enjoying the intense work of love, listening and concern for one another.

Sr. Hanne-Maria of Tautra 

Monday 12 September 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi Sept 12


MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi

 



Love means good family relations



Monday morning gave the capitulants an occasion for applaud after applaud, just like at the end of a most wonderful concert or theatre performance. At the MGM in Assisi it was our brother abbot general of the Cistercian Order, Dom Mauro Guiseppe  Lepori, who was met with the overwhelming applaud. It was a clear sign of the good relations that has been built up between the two Orders  of the Cistercians over the last 10 – 15 years, but also an attribute to Dom Mauro’s personal charism and interesting presentation to the MGM.

Dom Mauro was the abbot of Haute Rive in Switzerland until he was elected abbot general last year. He is well known by a great number of abbots and abbesses in our Order, a fruit of the extensive cooperation that has been over the years through regional and central formation programs and superior meetings.

Our abbot general Dom Eamon introduced Dom Mauro letting us know what warm welcome our sister Order gave him when he first greeted their synod. Dom Mauro said that one of his tasks as abbot general is to promote the good relations between our two Orders:
·                     The press has exaggerated when they said I want to make us into one Order – we haven’t come that far yet.
After giving a very open and interesting presentation of his Order and the situation of the 33 congregations of the Order, sharing some of the pain and troubles they are facing, he addressed the relationship between our Orders.

The friendship between our monasteries is very palpable. I want to thank you for all the times you have supported our monasteries when they have experienced difficulties. In both Orders we see that for example in Italy we have some monasteries who are struggling, others that are thriving: Maybe this is an area where we could work together analyzing the situation? I also think we could work together promoting the case of beatification of monks and nuns from our common history. It would be a favorable time now, with a German Pope, to ask for Gertrud of Helfta to become a Doctor of the Church.

Another great and long applaud for Dom Mauro at this point.

He gave a picture of his Order as being in a great crisis, but at the same time with a flourishing congregation in Vietnam where they have 14 monasteries with 900 members. But other places there is great fragility with aging, drop in numbers and few vocations.

My priority is that we have to support one another, show friendship and love making a journey and a visit. We can’t just close a house because they are not living the monastic life well. We have to simplify and adjust to a new situation. Brotherly love can heal and build up. Conversion is the fruit of love and the greatest miracle of the Holy Spirit. I have seen this in a community with great interior divisions. Everything is possible for God. We have to pray for a conversion of heart, and it happens, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Rather than closing a house where it seems that the life has become decadent, we must try to listen and find solutions together. It is not easy, we have to pray.

There were many in the assembly who had questions to Dom Mauro, and since several knew him well, the questions were open and direct, and he replied in a similar way. Dom Bernardo of Novo Mundo asked him to repeat to the chapters what he had said visiting them in Brasil:
·                     The problem for the rich young man was not so much giving up his riches as Jesus invited him to do, but to stand the loving regard of Jesus. Yes, this is the question, to be able to receive the love of Christ, not with fear but with openness to what then will happen next. We have to come with love, support and help.

Both Sunday afternoon, half of Monday morning and Monday afternoon is used for work in the commissions. We are grateful for all the prayers for this work of brotherly and sisterly love.

Sr. Hanne-Maria of Tautra

Sunday 11 September 2011

ocso-mgm, The theme of this Sunday’s readings and Dom David’s (Tarrawarra, Aus)homily is well illustrated in the work of the MGM these last days.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

O.C.S.O. M G M - 2011 Assisi


 
  Peace Maker
·                What did Dom David say about pace makers?
·                Pace makers? Who? When?
·                In his homily - ?
                               
Oh, it was just the Australian accent. In Europe and America we say PEACE makers.
The language is a continual challenge. Some of us didn’t even notice, being used to hear an Australian pronunciation of the English language. But yes, being peace makers we a theme and a prayer from this morning’s homily about forgiveness. Dom David, the abbot of Tarrawarra in Australia, took his inspiration from St. Cyprian of Carthage:

St. Cyprian taught his people in Carthage that Christian prayer is prayer in the plural. He was commenting on the Lord’s Prayer and highlighted this in the words Jesus gave us: Our Father… give us…our daily bread… forgive us as we forgive.. and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”….reminding his people that they were a “people united in the unity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The truth that the Father, Son and Spirit have desired to share this one life and one love with the human race is the amazing significance of the presence and action of God in the world. God, our Father , our Savior, our Sanctifier, is lovingly and actively present in our world drawing us into unity, into community.

Dom David reminded us of the situation in St. Cyprian’s Carthage after the persecution – a far from idyllic one, with the church divided between those who had lapsed and those who had been faithful and suffered – between the “them” and “us”. And it is in this situation he reminds the Christians that they are to be peacemakers of one mind and one heart, with the prayer “OurFather… forgive us our trespasses as we forgive…”
In this Sunday High Mass we remembered all those died in violence since the attack on the Twin Towers ten years ago. But coming to the Our Father in the liturgy, it was a different language: Pater noster qui es in coelis…

In earlier General Chapters the Mass has been celebrated in different of the four official languages of the Order: English, French, Spanish and Japanese. This year it was decided to celebrate Lauds and Mass in common for the whole assembly, not split into language groups, the same for Tierce and Non prayed in the Aula, and split into language groups only for Vespers. It certainly is a nice and strong experience that we celebrate Mass together, not letting the confusion of Babel divide us. And it is interesting to experience how well it works with the common of the liturgy in Latin, the proper sung and the readings read in various languages. Still Latin is well enough known to have a unifying effect, although there are also some for whom it is completely alien.

This morning it was the Region of the Oriens who was responsible for the liturgy of the Mass, with the readings in Japanese and another oriental language that is not one of the official ones. The homily given in English was also printed in the other languages, so everybody would follow.

The theme of this Sunday’s readings and Dom David’s homily is well illustrated in the work of the MGM these last days. We are moving into heavier work, looking at areas that need special attention, action and prayer. “On this special day of Sunday we will work as normal, “says the moderator, praying that our lives may be signs of peace. And for this to happen, we need to address those areas that are not peaceful and do not build up peace. For peace to reign, truth is needed, and this demands careful listening, knowledge and wisdom. Part of this is also acknowledging hurts and shortcoming. Dom David expressed it like this in his homily:

              St. Benedict too, knew both the monastic community’s high call to unity in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and its fragility and daily need of reconciliation…

We have heard special reports on special problems in certain communities, and are now working in the commissions addressing this on a local level. Called to be peace makers.

Sr. Hanne-Maria of Tautra